1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recoil apparatus which may be used as a starting equipment for an internal combustion engine serving as a power source for a portable-type power motor, out board motor, or the like.
2. The Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 3, a conventionally-known, typical recoil apparatus has the following construction. A casing 1 opening at one end thereof receives a band-shaped spring 2 wound into a spiral shape. One end of the spring 2 is held by the casing 1 while both the side edges thereof are held by side plates 4 and 5, so that the spring 2 is held in its place in such a manner as to be kept from loosening within the casing 1. The casing 1 has a central boss portion 6 on which a drum 7 is rotatably mounted. The drum 7 is disposed on the outer side of one 5 of the side plates. The other end of the spring 2 is secured to the drum 7. The drum 7 is held in its place by a screw 8 threaded into the central boss portion 6 of the casing 1 and a washer 9 in such a manner as to be prevented from being disengaged from the boss portion 6 outwardly in the axial direction. A rope 11 is spirally wound within a deep peripheral groove 10 which is formed in the drum 7 and which opens in the outer periphery of the drum 7. The inner end of the rope 11 is fixed to the drum 7. An annular boss portion 12 of the drum 7 is provided with an engagement portion 13 which can be disengageably linked to a member, for instance the crankshaft, of an internal combustion engine, not shown.
In the conventional recoil apparatus having the above-described construction, it is necessary to provide the rope 11 which is pulled out to cause the rotation of the drum 7 and also the spring 2 which is used to cause the reverse rotation of the drum 7 when the rope 11 is to be returned to its wound-up state and which is provided exclusively for this purpose. This requirement makes it difficult to reduce the size of the entire apparatus and to assemble the apparatus with less labor and within a short period. Further, the construction of the conventional apparatus raises some problems including the problem that the assembly and disassembly of the apparatus are difficult. That is, for instance, when the rope 11 has become worn out or cut and therefore the drum 7 has to be taken out of the casing 1, if this operation is being performed carelessly, there is a risk that the end of the spring 2 that is secured to the drum 7 may become displaced outwardly in the axial direction and, in an instant, the spirally wound spring 2 may unwind by its resilience.